Researchers have observed that increasing tax rates on unhealthful food items could help persuade people to have fruits and vegetables and whole grains.

Psychological researcher Leonard Epstein at University of Buffalo wanted to establish the strength of sin taxes and subsides in the research lab.

Epstein and fellow workers record the shopping schedules of mother-volunteers who were given lab "funds" to shop for a week's foodstuffs for the family members.

Researchers discovered that arousing the costs of unhealthful foods or ignoring the price of healthy foods tested as effectual measures in lessening calories bought over subsides.

Boffins detected that taxing junk foods cut down overall calories bought whereas subsidizing the costs of healthy food items augmented overall calories bought any modification in the nutritional value.

The results have been released in Psychological Science, a journal of the Association for Psychological Science. (With Input from Agencies)